My Favorite Bird Photos

Main menu

Monthly Archives: December 2014

Post navigation

I got a new camera yesterday (Nikon D7100) and tried it out this morning. Unfortunately, it was defective and I had to send it back. The new one will be here soon.
I met Graeme at the 450 bridge, which was very dead, then we went to Thomas Point, which had not a single duck. It was very crowded last year at this time. We then looked around the woods for a while, but only found the usual suspects.

This Red Bellied Woodpecker flew a circular pattern around us.

White Throated Sparrows were foraging in the berry bushes.

I seem to see White Breasted Nuthatches often at Thomas Point.

Eastern Bluebirds are plentiful.

Share this:

We were promised sunny skies again, but they didn’t appear until 9:30 or so, and my early shots were kind of dim.
After a couple of hours at the 450 bridge, I then went to Sandy Point and saw the buntings, as well as the Sanderling, a life bird.

This Cooper's Hawk landed right above my head.

This Great Blue Heron was fishing very successfully in the shallows.

The Snow Buntings have attracted many bird watchers to the park.

Share this:

Yesterday, I met Graeme at the 450 Bridge and we looked for eagles without much luck. We also stopped at Quiet Waters and Thomas Point with the same results.
Today I started with Quiet Waters, which was more productive, and ended at Thomas Point, which is still very slow.

Graeme is evaluating the photographic possibilities.

Dawn at the 450 Bridge.

I saw this Bald Eagle flying across South River.

There's always a Great Blue Heron in the cove-I wonder if it's the same one?

Song Sparrows often forage among the rocks at Thomas Point.

This White Throated Sparrow was also foraging at Thomas Point.

Mallards are the principal duck at the moment.

Buffleheads in small flocks remain at Thomas Point.

This pair of Hooded Mergansers flew into the cove while I was waiting.

Share this:

I heard, a few weeks ago, that this is the warmest year on record since 1880, and today seemed to bear it out. It was over 50 degrees and I dressed too warmly.
Snow Buntings had been reported at Sandy point for several days, and I found them easily today. Lovely little birds.
I spent some time on the trails and found a few nice birds. I then went to Thomas Point, which appeared to be dead, but there were hundreds of birds too far out for images.

You can usually count on Northern Mockingbirds at Sandy Point.

This Herring Gull was loafing at Thomas Point.

I've only seen a few Winter Wrens, so this was a nice find.

Share this:

I had planned to go to Sandy Point this morning, but it was closed for some holiday, so I tried Jonas Green Park and the 450 bridge.
There wasn’t much at Jonas Green, but the eagles at the bridge were very active.

This Muscovy Duck has been hanging out at Jonas Green for at least two years.

This Mockingbird was feeding at the pond adjacent to Jonas Green Park.

Several Great Blue Herons are regulars at the bridge.

I saw at least 6 Bald Eagles this morning.

Share this:

It was very cloudy this morning, so I didn’t leave the house ’til 8:30. That worked out, as Thomas Point was pretty dead through 9:00. A few swans passed over, an eagle was perched in the trees, and several small flocks of Buffleheads were in the area. The Merganser was a singleton, and first of the season.

Only a few Ring Billed Gulls were in the area.

Tundra Swans tend to stay near the shore, where many locals feed them.

This Red Breasted Merganser flew by very quickly, and I didn't recognize it until I checked it on the LCD screen.

Share this:

The weatherman seems to be getting worse. I had planned a day off due to rain and clouds but we got partly cloudy and sunny.
I went right to Thomas Point, but the migrating ducks just aren’t here in numbers yet. I looked in the woods for a while without finding much, and called it a day.

You're almost guaranteed to find Song Sparrows at the point.

You'll almost always hear the White Breasted Nuthatch before you see him.

A small flock of Dark Eyed Juncos seems to winter at the point.

Only a few Ring Billed Gulls were around.

Buffleheads are the only ducks currently in residence.

Share this:

The weatherman got it wrong again. “Sunny” was “Dark and Cloudy”, making for poor lighting.
I started at Quiet Waters, which is getting more active, then went on to Thomas Point, which was nearly dead. I expect we’ll be seeing more ducks soon, however.

Two Horned Grebes were feeding near the cove.

A pair of Hooded Mergansers were swimming slowly in the cove.

This Dark Eyed Junco posed for me at Thomas Point.

This White Breasted Nuthatch was very active, and it was difficult to get any shot at all.

Share this:

I had planned to go elsewhere this morning, but I decided on a quick trip to the bridge to see if my luck would improve. There were easily 5-6 eagles perched near the road, and they stayed in the area for a while.
Graeme and I then went to Quiet Waters, where we found a few more birds, but no ducks.

This Belted Kingfisher put on a show for us at Quiet Waters.

We flushed this Great Blue Heron, who stayed in the tree quite a while.

A lone Goldfinch was feeding in the cove.

There were about 10 Ring Billed Gulls feeding in the shallows at the bridge.

Walk west from the bridge and you may find Bald Eagles in the trees.

Share this:

I went back to the 450 bridge again this morning, but didn’t do as well as the first time. I did notice that the eagles were very active at low tide, and it would probably be worth going back n a few days when low tide is a little later in the day.
Graeme and I then went to Thomas Point, which was pretty much a bust except for a few Cedar Waxwings.

There's plenty of Bald Eagles, but they were most active in the low light of morning.